FC Twente withdraws staff and players from regional football talk show

FC Twente will no longer allow its players, coaching staff or directors to appear on regional broadcaster 1Twente’s weekly football talk show Voetbaltijd. According to FCUpdate, the programme’s makers announced the club’s decision on Monday.

Twente said it did not want to cooperate with a show in which “lies or inaccuracies” were being presented. The club’s complaint centres on comments by regular analyst and former agent René Wagelaar, who discusses developments involving Twente and Heracles Almelo.

Wagelaar strongly rejected the club’s position and challenged technical director Erik ten Hag and general director Dominique Scholten to appear alongside him. He argued that a face-to-face discussion would allow Twente’s leadership to answer his claims directly. Wagelaar told the programme that he stood by what he had said and insisted his information was accurate. He also criticised Ten Hag for declining an invitation he said he made when the pair met at AZ in late May.

According to Wagelaar, tensions with the club began after he criticised Michel Vlap around 18 months ago. He said Twente viewed that coverage as a campaign against the player and subsequently objected to other parts of the programme, including criticism of Rots. FCUpdate noted that Twente had previously boycotted Voetbaltijd over criticism aired on the show.